Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Hernan Castro-Rueda, M.D.
Rheumatology · Mission Viejo, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating.
This page presents federal public records about Dr. Castro-Rueda from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
Are you Dr. Castro-Rueda?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Castro-Rueda
Dr. Hernan Castro-Rueda is a rheumatology specialist in Mission Viejo, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Castro-Rueda performed 5,567 Medicare services across 1,004 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Castro-Rueda received a total of $21,223 from 50 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1124 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Castro-Rueda is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 26% volume in CA
$21,223 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗5,567
Medicare services
Top 26% in CA for rheumatology
1,004
Unique beneficiaries
$38
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~293 Medicare services per year of practice
Top procedures by volume
Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infliximab infusion (Remicade) An injection of infliximab, excluding biosimilar versions, administered in a 10 mg dose. |
1,998 | $26 | $130 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 1,680 | $18 | $34 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
620 | $101 | $345 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
117 | $8 | $13 |
| C-reactive protein test (inflammation marker) A blood test that measures the level of C-reactive protein to detect the presence of infection or inflammation in the body. |
102 | $5 | $24 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
102 | $58 | $194 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
91 | $8 | $43 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
90 | $10 | $32 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
86 | $72 | $245 |
| Zoledronic acid injection, 1 mg An injection of zoledronic acid administered at a dose of 1 mg. |
80 | $6 | $572 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 79 | $177 | $591 |
| Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period. |
76 | $25 | $82 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
73 | $141 | $485 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
60 | $74 | $233 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
60 | $121 | $394 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
53 | $138 | $447 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
51 | $12 | $39 |
| Sed rate test (inflammation marker) This automated test measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a tube to detect inflammation in the body. |
39 | $3 | $29 |
| Uric acid level test A blood test that measures the level of uric acid in your body. Uric acid is a waste product formed when the body breaks down purines. |
29 | $4 | $15 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 20 mg A 20 mg injection of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
26 | $4 | $12 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
25 | $29 | $85 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
17 | $45 | $149 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 13 | $6 | $26 |
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
38.8% high complexity
36.0% medium
25.2% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$21,223
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,032/year across 7 years
Top 17% in CA for rheumatology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
50
Companies
1,124
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$21,052 (99.2%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$171 (0.8%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$4,426
2023
$3,045
2022
$3,658
2021
$1,075
2020
$837
2019
$4,179
2018
$4,002
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$939
Amgen Inc.
$638
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$346
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$326
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$288
UCB, Inc.
$270
Lilly USA, LLC
$247
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$220
PFIZER INC.
$169
SOBI, INC
$125
Radius Health, Inc.
$121
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$104
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$87
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$77
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$75
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$72
ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$65
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$47
Organon Llc
$43
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$40
GENZYME CORPORATION
$36
Alvogen Inc
$36
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$24
Genentech USA, Inc.
$16
Octapharma USA, Inc.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 43.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Amgen Inc.
$3,934
ABBVIE INC.
$1,670
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,648
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$1,490
Lilly USA, LLC
$1,341
PFIZER INC.
$1,313
UCB, Inc.
$1,221
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$1,155
AbbVie Inc.
$1,147
Celgene Corporation
$907
AbbVie, Inc.
$666
Genentech USA, Inc.
$437
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$423
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$392
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$367
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$338
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$319
Radius Health, Inc.
$269
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$250
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$195
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$163
SOBI, INC
$144
Sobi, Inc
$132
MEDEXUS PHARMA, INC.
$123
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$122
GENZYME CORPORATION
$113
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$97
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$91
West-Ward Pharmaceuticals
$81
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$75
Horizon Pharma plc
$72
ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$65
Zyla Life Sciences
$44
Organon Llc
$43
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$42
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$40
MEDAC PHARMA, INC.
$37
Alvogen Inc
$36
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$27
Iroko Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$25
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$24
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$20
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$18
FIDIA PHARMA USA INC.
$18
Mallinckrodt LLC
$17
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$16
Octapharma USA, Inc.
$16
ASSERTIO THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$15
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$13
Orthogenrx Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 34.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · Actemra · BENLYSTA · Bimzelx · CHANTIX · COSENTYX · Cimzia · EUFLEXXA · EVENITY · Enbrel · FASENRA · FORTEO · GAMIFANT · GenVisc 850 · Gralise · HADLIMA · HUMIRA · HYALGAN · HYMOVIS · Humira · ILARIS · INFLECTRA · INJECTAFER · KEVZARA · KINERET · KRYSTEXXA · Kineret · LUPKYNIS · LYRICA · Mitigare · NUCALA · NURTEC ODT · OCTAGAM IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HUMAN) · OFEV · ORENCIA · ORTHOVISC · OTREXUP · Otezla · Otrexup · PENNSAID · PREVNAR - 13 · PURIFIED CORTROPHIN GEL · Prolia · RAYOS · REDITREX · REMICADE · RINVOQ · Rasuvo · Rinvoq · Rituxan · SAPHNELO · SHINGRIX · SIMPONI ARIA · SKYRIZI · SOLIRIS · SPRIX · STELARA · STRENSIQ · SYNVISC-ONE · Strensiq · TALTZ · TAVNEOS · TERIPARATIDE · TOVIAZ · TREMFYA · Tavneos · Tymlos · VIVLODEX · XELJANZ · XYOSTED · ZORVOLEX · ZTLido
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →
Most payments (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Rheumatologists within 10 mi
74
Per 100K population
2.3
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
PROVIDENCE MISSION HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Castro-Rueda is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 26% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 17% of CA peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Castro-Rueda experienced with infliximab infusion (remicade)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Castro-Rueda performed 1,998 infliximab infusion (remicade) services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Castro-Rueda receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Castro-Rueda received a total of $21,223 from 50 companies across 1,124 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Castro-Rueda's costs compare to other rheumatologists in Mission Viejo?
Dr. Castro-Rueda's average Medicare payment per service is $38. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Castro-Rueda) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
Explore related providers
Same specialty & city
Rheumatologists in Mission Viejo
Browse rheumatologists in Mission Viejo ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Rheumatologists in CA
Rheumatologists ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Rheumatologists in CA
Which CA rheumatologists receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Amgen Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Amgen Inc.
By company
ABBVIE INC. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from ABBVIE INC.
By company
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
About this page
All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.
This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. Data Coverage reflects data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.
Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology